Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Family: Ericaceae
Part used: Leaf
Taste: Bitter, Astringent
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Dry

No pre-1900 source found for this exact plant and part. The one old reading is about the whortleberries as a group, and it describes their berries rather than the bearberry leaf.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Avoid

While breastfeeding

Contraindicated during breastfeeding — arbutin/hydroquinone transfer and infant methemoglobinemia risk.

For children

Avoid under 12

Cautions

Avoid long-term (hepatotoxic); avoid alkaline urine diet (reduces efficacy); kidney disease

General contraindications

Contraindicated

Stewardship

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) grows as ground cover in northern latitudes; over-harvest has occurred in some regions. Prefer cultivated or well-managed wild stands. Stewardship: 'bearberry' — a plant named for the bear's diet reminds us that medicine is embedded in wildlife food webs.

In the traditional record

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) — recorded in the 13th-century Welsh manuscript The Physicians of Myddfai as a urinary remedy; used by northern indigenous peoples of North America (Cree, Algonquin) as part of kinnikinnick ceremonial smoking blends, with the name "bear's grape" reflecting its place as bear forage.

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.